A hole saw is a type of cutting tool or implement used in forming circular holes in various materials, such as wood, metal, drywall, etc. The hole saw typically has a hollow and substantially cylindrical body. The cylindrical body has a pair of concentric side walls. A cutting edge with teeth is located at one end of the cylindrical body. A cap is typically located at the end of the body opposite the cutting edge. The cap may include threads, holes or other structure adapted to allow the hole saw to be drivingly connected to a drill, such as through an arbor or driver.
Teeth of the cutting edge are designed to cut a work piece during rotation of the cutting tool. In use, the circular cutting edge creates a circular hole in a work piece and, in turn, removes a cylindrical slug from the work piece. The teeth may all be contained within cylinders extending from the pair of concentric side walls or have some or all of the teeth extending inwardly the same distance and/or outwardly the same distance. Every inwardly extending tooth and the inner side wall can contact and hold the slug in the hole saw and can require a relatively large application of force to remove the slug. Typically, after the hole is cut in the work piece, the slug is retained within the hollow interior of the hole cutter and must be removed prior to cutting another hole. The slug removal process is often difficult and time consuming.
Prior art hole saws may include apertures or slots formed in the side walls of the hole saw body to pry against in order to force the slug from within the hole saw. A slug may still be difficult to extract from within the body of the hole saw even if it is equipped with slug removal apertures or slots. This is because the slug can become tightly wedged in the hole saw due to moisture, chips, removed and displaced material from the cut or other debris that can find their way between the inner side wall of the hole saw and the slug. The teeth that extend inwardly the same distance, if so equipped, may further exacerbate retention of the slug within the hole saw by engaging the outer surface of the slug.
Thus, there is a need for a hole saw blade that overcomes the disadvantages associated with slug removal from previously known hole saws. The hole saw according to the disclosed subject matter satisfies this need and overcomes the disadvantages, drawbacks and limitations of previously known hole saws.